Skin stretchers for shavers



P. KOBLER SKIN STRETCHERS FOR SHAVERS April 7, 1964 Filed Oct. 25. 1961 INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,127,675 SKIN STRETCHERS FOR SHAVERS Paul Kobler, 81 Fenimore St., Lynbrook, N.Y. Filed Oct. 25, 1961, Ser. No. 147,626 3 Claims. (Cl. 3034) An object of the invention is to have the shearhead move more smoothly over the surface of the skin.

Another object of the invention is to regulate the tension between skin stretcher and the shearhead on the skin.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description now to follow.

This is a new application, similar to the application Serial No. 751,693, filed July 29, 1958, and now abandoned.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a lengthwise curved shearhead with a lengthwise curved skin stretcher.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a supported skin stretcher.

FIG. 3 is a top view of another embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a skin stretcher bar with round circumference, as shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is another embodiment of FIG. 3.

The invention may be applied to or incorporated in razors electrically, spring, battery or hand driven, of various specific shapes and types, it being particularly effective and advantageous in a razor of the character shown in the drawings, which comprises a main body portion 1, having a shaving head 2 removably mounted thereon in a manner common in such razors. A bottom plate 3 may be attached to the body portion 1 of the shearhead. Within the outer stationary shearhead member or shaving head 2 is a movable cutter, not shown in the drawings. Describing further FIG. 1, we see mounted, parallel to the lengthwise curved shearhead 2, a skin stretcher 4 movably supported by supports 5. The invention is a skin stretcher with which the tension of the skin can be regulated before it reaches the shearhead 2. To achieve such a result we may have both shearhead 2 and skin stretcher bar 4 lengthwise curved. The cutting surface of the outer shearhead member 2 may show the lengthwise curve, as in previous Kobler patents, for instance as shown in the patent granted to V. Kobler et al. No. 2,562,104 of July 24, 1951. In FIG. 1 the top surface of the skin stretcher 4 is also lengthwise curved.

There is an open space 6 between skin stretcher 4 and shearhead member 2. It is this open space 6, which changes its shape according to the position of the skin stretcher 4, which may be inclined to dilferent positions. Both ends of the skin stretcher bar are movably supported near the approximate height of the cutting surface of the shearhead, and at a certain disance away from that shearhead. The resulting open space 6 will change its shape, when the skin stretcher bar, which has around its axis at least one concave and a nonconcave surface, is moved on said axis, that is around said axis. The surface opposite the shearhead will determine the shape of the open space 6. When the skin stretcher bar is moved around its axis to a different position, the ends remain at the same distance away from the shearhead. However when the concave surface is opposite the shearhead, the open space 6 has a rounded surface along the skin stretcher. With a nonconcave surface on the skin stretcher opposite the shearhead, the open space 6 has changed its shape. For instance with a convex surface on the skin stretcher opposite the shearhead the open space 6 has a hollow shape along the convex surface of the skin stretcher. FIG. 1 shows the skin stretcher 4 in its top position. The open space 6 is then the same in width all along its length. However if the skin stretcher 4, which consists of a protruding part 4a supported by supports 5, is ro- 3,127,675 Patented Apr. 7, 1 964 tated to a different position, the edge 7 of the skin stretcher 4 moves further apart from the edge 8 of the stationary shearhead 2. The edge 7 of said skin stretcher being curved it is obvious that the center part of said curve moves further away from the shearhead edge 8, than the ends of said curve which are supported by supports 5. Thus the space between skin stretcher and shearhead changes from a regular shape into an irregular shape, with its widest width in the middle.

Skin stretcher 4 may be frictionally supported with screws 9 or frictionally supported by a spring between support and skinstretcher bar. The modification with a spring is not shown, as any manner to support the skin stretcher bar may be employed.

In FIG. 2 is seen a supported skin. stretcher with a lengthwise curve with edge 7.

In FIG. 3 and the following figures we see that it is not necessary for the invention to have both shearhead and skin stretcher in a lengthwise curve. The shearhead may also have a fiat or round cutting surface. The important feature is, that the space 6 changes its shape, when the skin stretcher is adjusted to a different position. In order to achieve that, we take in FIG. 3 a round bar for a skin stretcher 11. This round bar 11 is milled out on one side as indicated by the dotted line 12. A cross section of such a round her 11 is seen in FIG. 4. This bar 11 is also movably supported by supports 13. The open space 14 changes its shape when bar 11 is adjusted, that is turned on its axis. A handle outside the supports could be provided or a disk outside the supports for easier turning bar 11. Such means are not shown in the drawings, as they are irrelevant to the invention. It is obvious, that as soon as the bar '11 is turned the open milled out part may stand opposite the shearhead edge 15 whereby the open space between skin stretcher 11 and shearhead edge 15 has changed its shape. That is in the middle this space 1-4 is now much wider than at its ends. Thereby we have less tension of the skin in the middle of the skin stretcher than we have at its ends. In other words the tension of the skin is adjusted according to the width of the open space 14.

FIG. 5 shows that the milled out part may be smaller in size as indicated by dotted lines 16. In order to change the shape of the open space 17 in FIG. 5 this milled out part 18 may also be in different shapes. It would be in the spirit of the invention that the skin is stretched differently along a curvature on the skin stretcher bar, even if said skin stretcher bar seen in FIGS. 3 and 5 is not movable and the curvatures seen in FIGS. 3 and 5, as indicated by numerals 12 and 16 remain constantly opposite the edge of the shearhead.

We know the contour of all faces is different. Also the structure of the skin is very much different with each person. Therefore it makes quite a difference for each structure of the skin, how much that skin is stretched before it reaches the edge of the shearhead. Also how much that stretching can be released by an adjustable open space between skin stretcher and shearhead. In shaving with such devices experience has shown, that the minutest measurements are of importance. This is understandable when we know that the thickness of a shearhead goes usually down to .05 inch and accordingly as the skin is stretched or released, it will enter more or less deeply between the slots of said shearhead. Also in consideration has to be taken the sensitiveness of the skin, which is also different with each individual. An adjustable skin stretcher or a skin stretcher where the space between said skin stretcher and the edge of the shearhead will gradually increase or decrease, will give to the user of such a device the amount of skin stretching he needs for his particular need.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a shaving device having the combination of a shearhead and a skin stretching device, embodying a support for a skin stretcher bar, said support attached at its base to the shaver casing and supporting the ends of said skin stretcher bar at a permanent distance away from the shearhead, said skin stretcher bar with its ends rotatably movable at the approximate height of the cutting surface of the shearhead and lengthwise spaced from said shearhead, said skin stretcher bar consisting of at least one lengthwise curved concave surface, extending from one end of the skin stretcher bar towards the other end, the hollow of said concave surface decreasing towards the ends of said skin stretcher bar, said surface with said concave curvature adjoining a nonconcave surface, whereby the space between shearhead and the skin stretcher bar changes its shape, when said skin stretcher bar is rotatably moved on its axis, without moving the ends of said skin stretcher bar further away from the shearhead, thereby the skin may be adjustably pre-stretched along the length of the skin stretcher bar, before it reaches the cutting surface of the shearhead.

2. As described in claim 1, said skin stretcher ba having a protruding portion, said portion protruding in the opposite direction of the shearhead, and consisting of an upwardly inclining surface, said surface protruding port for a skin stretcher bar, said support attached at its base to the shaver casing and supporting the ends of said 7 skin stretcher bar at a permanent distance away from the shearhead, said skin stretcher bar with its ends rotatably movable at the approximate height of the cutting surface of the shearhead and lengthwise spaced from said shearhead, said skin stretcher bar consisting of at least one lengthwise curved surface extending from one end of the skin stretcher bar towards the other end, said lengthwise curvature producing different distances along its length between the skin stretcher bar and the shearhead, whereby the skin is'differently pre-stretched along the length of the skin stretcher bar, before 'it reaches the cutting surface of the shearhead.

References Cited in the file or this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,275,810 Weiland Mar. 10, 1942 2,726,443

Miller Dec. 13, 1955 

1. IN A SHAVING DEVICE HAVING THE COMBINATION OF A SHEARHEAD AND A SKIN STRETCHING DEVICE, EMBODYING A SUPPORT FOR A SKIN STRETCHER BAR, SAID SUPPORT ATTACHED AT ITS BASE TO THE SHAVER CASING AND SUPPORTING THE ENDS OF SAID SKIN STRETCHER BAR AT A PERMANENT DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE SHEARHEAD, SAID SKIN STRETCHER BAR WITH ITS ENDS ROTATABLY MOVABLE AT THE APPROXIMATE HEIGHT OF THE CUTTING SURFACE OF THE SHEARHEAD AND LENGTHWISE SPACED FROM SAID SHEARHEAD, SAID SKIN STRETCHER BAR CONSISTING OF AT LEAST ONE LENGTHWISE CURVED CONCAVE SURFACE, EXTENDING FROM ONE END OF THE SKIN STRETCHER BAR TOWARDS THE OTHER END, THE HOLLOW OF SAID CONCAVE SURFACE DECREASING TOWARDS THE ENDS OF SAID SKIN STRETCHER BAR, SAID SURFACE WITH SAID BY THE SPACE BETWEEN SHEARHEAD AND THE SKIN STRETCHER BAR CHANGES ITS SHAPE, WHEN SAID SKIN STRETCHER BAR IS ROTATABLY MOVED ON ITS AXIS, WITHOUT MOVING THE ENDS OF SAID SKIN STRETCHER BAR FURTHER AWAY FROM THE SHEARHEAD, THEREBY THE SKIN MAY BE ADJUSTABLY PRE-STRETCHED ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE SKIN STRETCHER BAR, BEFORE IT REACHES THE CUTTING SURFACE OF THE SHEARHEAD. 